


Creation Myth

by YaminoBossBitch



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Body Shaming, Bullying, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-compliant Death, Canon-compliant genocide, Fictional language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Misogyny, Origin Story, Original Mythology, Poverty, Slavery, Slow Burn, Suicide mention, Trauma, Violence, abuse mention, death mention, disaster gay beerus, hopefully, imposter syndrome, non-sexual nudity mention, parental death mention, sex work mention, slight shades of beerus/shin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25842691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoBossBitch/pseuds/YaminoBossBitch
Summary: Who was Beerus before he was chosen to be a god? How was he chosen? Amidst a time of chaos and violence, a brand new Supreme Kai was given the daunting task of finding not one but two new gods. What becomes of a peasant when given the power of a deity? What happens to a god who can’t stop thinking about his angel?
Relationships: Beerus/Whis (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 25





	1. Zep Tepi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shin is on a mission to stop the deadliest known force in the universe. But he’s disrupted by the Grand Minister with a special quest—direct from the Grand Zeno. But where is Shin supposed to find two Gods of Destruction on short notice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Canon-compliant death, trauma, canon-typical violence, blood, poverty, alcohol, sex work mention 
> 
> I forgot to put content warnings when I originally posted this chapter. Sorry for that!

Shin was found amongst the bodies of the rest of the Supreme Kais. He was in a catatonic sort of shock, not moving, not speaking. He was taken back to a Kai village for treatment. It was days before he spoke at all, weeks before he could explain what had happened, what he had witnessed.

As soon as he started explaining, he was crying. He couldn’t stop. He was sobbing inconsolably for days. No one blamed him. He was the youngest Kai, only very recently finished with his training and promoted to Supreme Kai of the East. To witness the death of his fellow Kais at the hands of a monster would have broken any Kai, but for someone in Shin’s position, it was devastating.

After several days, the crying stopped. That’s when the anger began.

Anger was not a natural feeling for a Kai. He didn’t know what to do with it. It was overpowering. All he could think about was killing Majin Buu.

“Please, don’t go. Supreme Kai, your anger is justified, truly, but it’s too dangerous. You can’t kill Majin Buu, not by yourself.” One of the Kais who took him in, Sun, said. Her eyes were wide with worry.

“Someone has to stop him. He has the power of the Supreme Kais, he’s become too powerful for any mortal to take on.” Shin said.

“A Supreme Kais duty is to create and observe, not protect, you can’t step in and interfere, it would break the oath. Let someone else handle it.”

“The oath states that a Supreme Kai can and must step in and defend against attacks that would bring harm upon or greatly detract from their ability to perform their duties as a Supreme Kai.” Shin replied.

“Yes, defend,” Sun said. “If you go and track him down now, that’s not defense, it’s retaliation.”

“What do you suggest I do? He absorbed them—he took them from us, and now he has the power of four Supreme Kais. He could be nearly as powerful as a Destroyer now. No mortal is strong enough to defeat him. A Destroyer has an Attendant so they can be stopped if they break the rules, but Majin Buu has nothing to stop him, only Bibidi telling him what to do. Someone has to stop him before everything falls apart, and as a Supreme Kai I must do something.” He said, clenching his teeth to stop the tears from coming back.

“I’ll go with you.” Kibito said. Kibito was the one who had found him, and the first to whom Shin was able to tell what happened. He was powerful, and had undergone an apprenticeship to be Supreme Kai a long time ago, before Shin was born.

“I couldn’t ask you to put yourself in danger like that.” Shin said.

“It would be an honor to serve the Supreme Kai.”

Their plan was sparse. Find Majin Buu, and kill him. But it was the best plan they had. They returned to the scene of the attack, and looked upward into the stars. Kais had incredible vision abilities. They could focus the shell of an insect from billions of kilometers away.

So they scanned every planet they could see, seeking any trace of Majin Buu or Bibidi.

“The Northern Quadrant, right there,” Shin said. “Do you see it?”

“Yes,” Kibito nodded. It was a city torn apart. Could have been the work of Majin Buu.

“Let’s go,” he said. He placed a hand on Kibito’s arm. “Kai-Kai.” He said.

Kai-Kai was a teleportation technique, it could get him from one place to another in seconds, so quickly that to mortals it looked like a flash. Shin could see the whole trip, but this time, something different happened.

Everything lurched. They seemed to be frozen in the middle of space, but a protective green shield formed around them and protected them.

“What’s happen—“ Kibito’s question was disrupted by the appearance of the Grand Minister.

“Pardon the intrusion, gentleKais,” he bowed his head. Shin scrambled into a bow, and Kibito followed. Shin didn’t know if bowing to the Grand Minister was proper or not, but it felt right. Shin hadn’t learned much about angels during his Supreme Kai training, he was told most of it was not meant for others to know. The main thing he heard, however, was that angels were much, much more powerful than they would ever let on. Angels were more powerful than even most Kais could conceive. And knowing that so much power was held within such a delicate appearance made Shin feel that bowing was appropriate.

“Grand Minister, to what do we owe the honor?” He asked.

“I’m here with special instructions from the Omni-King.”

“Th-the Omni-King?” Shin sputtered.

Most Supreme Kais went their entire lives never once hearing from the Omni-King. Shin was still so new to being a Supreme Kai, now being the only Supreme Kai, and he was receiving special instructions already?

“I’m sure you’ll recall that the life force of a Supreme Kai is tied to the life force of a God of Destruction. When this universe lost its own Supreme Kai, it lost its God of Destruction. Without a God of Destruction, the balance of the universe is tilted, and it can cause chaos.” The Grand Minister explained. Shin nodded solemnly.

“I’ll find a suitable replacement right away,” he said.

“Actually, there’s more. Within a few hours of the tragic loss of the Supreme Kais of Universe 7, we also lost our Supreme Kai of Universe 6,” He said. Shin swallowed. Speaking of other Universes was rare. Most were not privy to that information. “You survived, which means you are now the acting Supreme Kai of Universe 7. However, Universe 6 had no such successor. Universe 6 is currently without a Supreme Kai and a Destroyer. You can see this is quite dire.”

“Yes,” Shin said. “What do we do?”

“I have been sent to appoint a new Supreme Kai for Universe 6. In the meantime, I’m afraid I must leave it on you to find two suitable Gods of Destruction.”

Shin felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“Me?”

“I apologize for this, my dear Kai, it’s not a simple undertaking,” he handed him two scrolls, each on golden cases with the seal of the Grand Zeno on them. “A list of ideal requirements of a God of Destruction, and a list of potential candidates,” Shin nodded absently. “And of course,” the Grand Minister produced a peculiar craft from his staff, it looked like a glass tank and not much more. “This ship can travel between Universes. You have been granted special permission to do so by the Omni-King. And if you are so inclined, you may bring your bodyguard with you.”

Shin nodded again. But his head was spinning. Find a Destroyer? Find two Destroyers? He didn’t have time for this, Majin Buu was loose, he had to stop him.

“Grand Minister—“ he started. The Grand Minister’s face became very serious.

“I’m sure I don’t need to explain this to you,” he said, as if he knew what Shin was about to say before he said it. “A Supreme Kai’s job is to help maintain the balance. This mission is of the utmost importance, every second these Universes are without their deities, they are at risk of collapse. You must find appropriate replacements with haste, or both Universes may have to be erased.”

“Oh,” Shin squeaked. He straightened. “Of course. I can do it.”

He and Kibito got into the ship. He opened the scrolls to try to figure out where he needed to go.

“ _An ideal God of Destruction should have all of the following qualities:  
\- A God of Destruction must display incredible strength, they must be at least equivalent in strength to the Supreme Kai of their Universe prior to training.  
\- A God of Destruction must understand their position of balance and the importance of destruction to the process of creation, thus they are willing and not morally opposed to the destruction of planets and the killing of millions of living beings.  
\- A God of Destruction must hold no intent of personal, political, or cultural gain. A God of Destruction holds their position for the importance of the Universe and cannot seek mortal gain with divine power.  
\- A God of Destruction must be willing to bind their life with the Universe’s Supreme Kai.  
\- A God of Destruction must be willing to give up their mortal life completely, leave behind their families and homes, and commit themselves to their divine duty permanently._”

Shin felt a migraine coming on. He had never met anyone who would be able or willing to agree to all of these things. Even among the list of potential candidates, Shin wasn’t sure what the odds were that anybody would fit the description, much less two of them.

He and Kibito searched across the Universes. Every second that passed was a second that Bibidi was causing trouble. But the search for a Destroyer felt impossible. Most of the candidates weren’t interested in leaving their families and friends behind. Some were morally outraged at the idea of destroying planets indiscriminately. A few were far too excited about destroying planets indiscriminately. Several outright announced how they would use this power for their own political gain.

Shin had lost all hope by the time they were at the last names on the list. What were the chances that the last two names on the list would both be willing and acceptable candidates?

The names were listed together, with the same address, brothers from what Shin could tell. His last chance was these two: Beerus & Champa.

Kibito and Shin arrived on the planet. It was a peculiar planet. Mostly desert, and a complicated social structure. There was a massive, petrified tree in the center of the city which had been carved into a palace. The city that surrounded the tree was carved in stone. The farther from the tree, the smaller and shabbier the buildings were. Beerus and Champa lived in the farthest neighborhood from the tree. It was punishingly hot, and so dry that Shin felt like he was choking every time he inhaled.

It took some asking around, but they were pointed to a location known solely as “the pit.” Shin didn’t like the sound of it, but he and Kibito went anyway.

“The pit,” it seemed, was a literal pit build into the sand. A crowd was gathered around it, cheering and screaming at whatever was below. Shin and Kibito made their way to the front of the crowd and peered below. Inside were two mortals, both with a feline-like appearance and purplish skin. One was huge, very tall and very muscular. The other was shorter, and if anything, a little on the chubby side. They were fighting, apparently, for sport. The most peculiar thing was that it appeared that the smaller, plumper one was thoroughly beating the larger, stronger one.

The crowd was screaming. Shin frowned. It was such a savage scene, the two men bruised and bloodied, the crowd roaring in encouragement, no honor or respect, just beating each other senseless for entertainment. The smaller fighter waved to the crowd before charging with incredible speed to land the last rapid blows on the larger fighter, knocking him out into the dust. The crowd hollered and united in a chant.

“Cham-pa! Cham-pa! Cham-pa!”

Shin looked down at the fighter. He was Champa, one of the men he was looking for. Champa hovered up out of the pit and was immediately surrounded by a crowd. Some were cheering him, some jeering, some handing him wine to drink. One beside him apparently said something he didn’t like, as Champa turned and swung a punch. Some of the crowd cheered as the men fought, some tried to pull them apart. Eventually, they were broken up, although they could both be heard spitting vulgar insults at one another.

“Are you sure about this, Supreme Kai?” Kibito said. Shin took a breath.

“Not in the slightest.” He replied. They stepped forward.

“Excuse me, Mr. Champa?” He asked. Champa looked slightly startled by the Kais. The planet had very limited intergalactic communication, which meant it was unlikely he had ever seen an alien race.

“Who’re you?”

“My name is Shin,” he said, choosing a delicate approach. “We need to speak to you, and Mr. Beerus, if you know where we might find him.”

“Beerus? What do you want to talk to that ragamuffin for? I can help you with whatever you need, he’ll only get in the way.” Champa said.

“I heard that!” It was the man Champa had been arguing with, he was quite thin, and close to Champa’s height. “And that’s rich coming from the one who’s feeling all high and mighty after winning his first battle in months, all that prize money goes to me for covering the rent! You’re the one who gets in the way!”

They lunged at each other again.

The crowd jumped in to pull them apart while others just cheered. Shin and Kibito were both frozen amidst the chaos. When the men had stopped fighting, Shin composed himself.

“I really need to speak to the both of you.” He said. Beerus huffed.

“Fine. It’s dinner time anyway, let’s go home.” He said.

“I’ll pick up the prize money,” Champa said triumphantly.

“Fine. You can pick up dinner, then. And then you can explain the the landlord where the rest of rent is.” Beerus growled.

“Fine.” Champa stalked off the opposite direction. Beerus turned.

“This way.” He said. Shin and Kibito followed.

He took them down a few dusty roads until he reached a very small building, made from mud-brick, a square, flat space, no more than ten square meters. The floor was made from dirt which had been stomped into place. There were woven baskets and clay jars lined against the walls which took up most of the space. Beerus grabbed a couple of the jars before nodding them toward the mud-brick staircase at the other end of the hut. Up the stairs was the roof. The roof had a loose covering of large leaves and sticks that had long since dried out. There were two straw mats on the floor. It was less hot than outside, though not by much. Beerus sat and gestured for them to do the same. He handed them one of the clay jars.

“Wine,” he explained. “So you don’t die of thirst.”

“Thank you,” Shin bowed his head graciously. He opened the jar and took a sip. The wine was tart, but not bad, and it did feel very refreshing against the overwhelming heat.

“So, who are you two again?” Beerus asked.

“My name is Shin, and this is Kibito.” Shin said.

Beerus eyed them suspiciously as he sipped at his wine. Champa stepped up the stairs a few minutes later. Carrying a loaf of bread. He sat on the mat and tore the bread in half. He handed Beerus one half and they each tore their halves again, giving Shin and Kibito a quarter each. They each ate graciously.

“How can we help you?” Champa asked through a bite of bread.

“Well, it may be a bit of a shock. My name is Shin, and I am the Supreme Kai. Do you understand?” He said. Champa and Beerus exchanged expressions. Beerus shook his head. “That’s alright. In simplest terms, I’m a deity.”

Both their eyes went very wide. They were in stunned silence for a moment. Then, Beerus stood up, stomped over to Champa, and punched him in the arm.

“Champa! We’re having gods over for dinner and you bring home the same crappy bread we always get? We can’t feed them this cheap stuff!”

“Ow, hey!” He leapt up. “How was I supposed to know they were gods! You didn’t know they were gods! Besides, you told me not to spend all my money!”

“Don’t talk about money right now, there are gods here, you inconsiderate idiot!”

Champa threw the first punch. They went down, hitting and screaming and swearing. Shin and Kibito had to pull them off of each other again.

“Gentlemen, please,” Shin said. “I’m not concerned with the quality of food,” Beerus and Champa plopped back onto their mat. “I must say I’m a little surprised, most mortals don’t believe me so easily.”

“We’ve heard legends of gods coming to visit mortals, we’ve just never seen it happen ourselves.” Champa explained.

“Ah, of course,” Shin nodded. Their culture was a deeply religious one. That could make things difficult, as Shin had been met with quite a bit of resistance from some when he explained how reality was different from their beliefs. “I will try to keep this simple. There are many types of deities, each with their own job. Ages ago, my race, the Kais, was chosen to be watchers and creators. I can create life, planets, galaxies, and I watch and protect them. Do you understand so far?”

“This is different from what we’ve heard before.” Beerus said.

“Don’t question a god!” Champa screamed.

“I wasn’t questioning him, I was just saying—“

“You were just saying he was wrong!”

“I was not!”

Beerus threw the first punch this time. They fell again, and Shin and Kibito pulled them apart again.

Shin stood back with a huff.

“Listen,” Shin said. “Perhaps it would be better if I spoke to you each separately.”

“Fine,” Champa stomped toward the stairs. “If you’re going to smite him for something he says, it’s better I’m out of range anyway.”

Beerus made an obscene hand gesture at him as he walked away.

Shin and Kibito both sat down. Beerus plopped back down onto his mat.

“You’ll have to excuse him, he’s an idiot,” Beerus grumbled. “Now where were we...oh, you are a god of creation?”

“In a sense, yes. Kais were chosen because of our tendencies toward being peaceable and kind. But because of this, there are other types of jobs that Kais cannot do. For creation to happen, there must be destruction, for life to happen, there must also be death. For the ordered nature of life to carry on in repeating patterns and steady evolution, there must be chaos, abrupt ends, meteor strikes that wipe out planets. Do you understand?”

“For good to have meaning, there has to be evil.” Beerus said.

“It’s not really about good and evil. Death is not a force of evil, destruction is not a force of evil, they are realities that must exist in common with life and creation. If there was no destruction, then I could keep creating and creating until this universe was full to the brim, until there were too many lives that even I could not watch over them all. Death and destruction are not evil on their own, they are vital. They become evil when they are used for vile purposes. Do you understand?”

Beerus nodded slowly.

“And your people can’t do the death and destruction part because of your gentle nature.”

“Yes, that’s correct. For the one who is responsible for destruction, the God of Destruction, we look to others, mortal races, for individuals who may have the skills necessary to become the God of Destruction.”

Beerus’ eyes went wide.

“What exactly are you suggesting?” His voice went slightly hoarse.

“Currently there is need for two Gods of Destruction. We believe you and your brother may be appropriate fits if you are able to meet the qualifications.”

Beerus looked lost for a moment. Almost panicked.

“You...think we...could be...gods...” he said slowly.

“Potentially, there are some things you would have to agree to, and I’d have to gauge your strength.” Shin said.

Beerus took several large gulps of wine. Then he stood up and paced across the rooftop.

“How do I know this is real? How do I know this isn’t some sort of trick?” The tension on his face told Shin the truth.

“There’s no need to be afraid.” He said.

“I am not afraid!” Beerus snarled, though he was visibly shaking. “I just...I need to know...what would this entail?”

Shin took the scroll from his belt and opened it.

“‘An ideal God of Destruction should have all of the following qualities,’” he read. “‘A God of Destruction must display incredible strength, they must be at least equivalent in strength to the Supreme Kai of their Universe prior to training.’”

“You?”

“That will be what I test, if you agree to go through with it.” Shin explained. Beerus nodded.

“What else?”

“‘A God of Destruction must understand their position of balance and the importance of destruction to the process of creation, thus they are willing and not morally opposed to the destruction of planets and the killing of millions of living beings,’”

Beerus let out a nervous laugh.

“It’s not something I ever though much about. But, it’s like you said, right? Destruction is necessary.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Shin said. “‘A God of Destruction must hold no intent of personal, political, or cultural gain. A God of Destruction holds their position for the importance of the Universe and cannot seek mortal gain with divine power.’”

“Why would I do that? What would a god want with a kingdom?”

Shin smirked.

“You’d be surprised,” he said.

“What about you? I mean, who decides who gets destroyed or not? How do I know someone isn’t using me for an agenda?” Beerus said.

“You decide. That’s entirely up to you. You can destroy any planet you want for any reason, however arbitrary, or even at total random.”

“Oh. I see.” Beerus’ tail was flicking.

“‘A God of Destruction must be willing to bind their life with the Universe’s Supreme Kai.’”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you and I would be bound. Our lives would be tied. As long as one of us lives, so will the other. And if one of us dies,”

“So does the other,” Beerus finished. He had gone a little pale. “How long will I live, if I do that?”

“There’s no guarantee, of course, but Kais naturally live very long lives.”

“How long is ‘very long?’ How old are you?”

“By your calendar, I believe I’m around a million years old.”

Beerus turned to face him, and slowly sat down on the mat.

“You look so young,” he said.

“By Kai standards, I am.”

“So, I could live for millions of years?”

“Longer than that.”

“But...if one of us dies, then we both die?”

“Yes.”

Beerus cursed under his breath.

“What about Champa? Would his life be bound to ours?”

“Oh,” Shin realized he had said Beerus’ life would be bound to his, not any other Supreme Kai’s. He supposed it didn’t matter much either way. “One of you would be bound to a different Supreme Kai.”

“A different one? How many are there?”

“That is something I’ll have to explain later.”

Beerus nodded.

“What else?”

“‘A God of Destruction must be willing to give up their mortal life completely, leave behind their families and homes, and commit themselves to their divine duty permanently.’” Shin rolled the scroll shut.

“What does that mean, I have to be a monk? Give up all my possessions and never marry?”

“Not at all,” Shin said. “You’ll have anything you like. You can marry whoever you want to. But you cannot resume a normal mortal life  
If you agree to this, you are a god for the rest of your life. There is no going back.”

Beerus nodded.

“I don’t have much here. Don’t see much room for improvement, either. All I have is my idiot brother. But if he goes through with this, too, then I guess I won’t need to worry about him,” There was still a sense of fear coming off of Beerus, but he seemed a little calmer now. “What does that mean exactly? I have to leave this land?”

“This planet.” Shin said. Beerus looked up to where they could see sky through the canopy.

“You mean...I’d live amongst the stars? Is that even possible?”

“It is. You can have any world you like.” Shin followed his gaze, scoping out some of the nearby planets as he did.

“How much does it pay?” Beerus asked. Shin almost wanted to laugh.

“You won’t be paid in material wealth. You’ll have all your needs taken care of. You’ll have any sort of home you like, any food you like, someone to cook and take care of your home for you, there won’t be any need for money.”

“You’re just going to give me a home and food for free? It’s not going to be some crappy tent like slaves have to sleep in or something is it?”

“It can be anything you want. It will be made to your liking.” Shin said.

Beerus sat back down on his mat, then flopped down onto his side, and rolled over so he was on his back, looking at the stars.

“I was always taught never to trust a good deal. You’re offering me power beyond any royalty, the power of the gods themselves, plus my own world, my own home, food whenever I want it. I should be laughing in your face right now for making such a ridiculous offer. Why do I trust you?” He asked.

“Because you know I’m telling the truth.” Shin said. Beerus looked to him and smiled a little.

“This is insane. You know that, right? Why would someone like me be chosen to become a god? I’m just some nobody.”

“You were noticed by the gods for your strength and fighting talent. You have the compassion to not abuse your abilities but you’re not so compassionate that you can’t bear the nature of this job, you fit all the requirements.” Shin said.

“How do you know all that power won’t change me? Maybe I fit the requirements now, but eventually I could become corrupt like those bastards in the palace.” He nodded toward the massive, petrified tree.

“Everything changes over the course of time, that’s part of nature. And you don’t always know which direction these changes will go. But I can sense your heart, and I know that at your core, you’re a kind person, so I have hope that something like that won’t happen.”

“Ugh, don’t go around telling people that,” Beerus grumbled. “So what’s it like, being a god?”

“I’ve never been mortal, so it would be difficult for me to compare. But based on what I know about mortals, and what I know about divinities, I think you will begin to understand a lot of things that you could not as a mortal. You’ll see things differently, time will have a different meaning, you’ll sense the way the universe shifts.”

Beerus laughed softly.

“I don’t understand a word you just said. Ah, what the hell. I’ll do it. My life here is crap anyway, can’t be much worse, right?”

“Thank you,” Shin said. “Get some rest, I can test you after I’ve spoken to your brother.”

After everything was explained to Champa, his reaction was much different than Beerus’.

“Ridiculous. Why would I become a god?”

“Uh, well, a lot of reasons. You’d train to incredible strength and abilities, you’d play a vital role in the balance and maintenance of the universe, you’d get to travel nearly anywhere you could imagine, and you’d have a home provi—“

“I have a home!” Champa shrieked as if deeply offended. “Just because it’s not made from a dead plant or whatever they do in the inner rings doesn’t mean it’s not a home. Is that what this is all about, huh, some charity case?”

“No, not at all,”

“We’re not as destitute as we look, you know. The rivers are going to flood in a few weeks and then there will be some jobs to get us through the next few months.” Champa folded his arms and huffed.

“I apologize, I meant no offense. I only brought it up because your brother seemed quite interested in that aspect.” Shin explained.

“My brother? Am I supposed to believe he had any interest in this nonsense? He may be an idiot but even he isn’t foolish enough to really give up our whole life here on some totally bizarre quest for godhood.” Champa said. Shin frowned. Champa did as well. “Really?”

“He agreed to take the test of strength when you and I are done speaking.” Shin said.

Champa’s jaw dropped. He stared for several moments.

“He... _what_?” Champa stood. “He agreed? He really agreed to try to become a god? So if he succeeds, he’ll go through all this training and become super strong and immortal?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Shin nodded slowly.

Champa cleared his throat.

“Well, of course he did. Even he isn’t so foolish as to pass up such an honorable opportunity as this.” He said. Shin felt like he had been punched from the suddenness of Champa’s change of mind.

“So, does that mean...”

“Yes, I will also take this test of yours. After all of you think Beerus can do it than I certainly can.”

“Thank you, Champa.” Shin said.

“If you’re tired, we can do this tomorrow.” Shin said. He and Beerus had made their way down to the riverbank. The sun was going down and the sky had gone a purplish color. Champa and Kibito stood to the side and watched.

“Nah, I’m not worried.” Beerus was grinning. He seemed excited.

“Alright then, don’t be afraid to come at me with everything you’ve got.” Shin said.

Beerus charged. He was fast, much faster than Shin ever would have expected. He threw punches rapidly, almost too quick for Shin to block. Beerus stepped back and threw his weight into it, striking Shin on the jaw hard enough that Shin saw stars.

Shin caught himself and whipped around to face Beerus again.

“Very good.” He said. He took to the sky. Beerus followed.

They fought hard. Beerus had an unusual fighting style, unlike anything Shin had ever faced. It was unpredictable, almost playful, as if he were reveling in it. Shin found himself having fun as well. They were evenly matched, if anything, Shin was having some trouble keeping up.

A strike from Beerus’ tail blindsided him. Shin plummeted through the sky and crashed into the river.

“Oh—“ Beerus dropped down to pull Shin out of the river. “Sorry, I’m used to fighting to knockout, you okay?”’

“I’m alright,” Shin said, laughing a little. “I’d say you passed the test.”

“Yeah?” Beerus beamed.

“Yes, we—“ Shin stopped. “Uh, you can let go of me now.” Beerus’ face flushed and he dropped Shin.

“S-sorry—“ he muttered.

They landed on the riverbank.

“I suppose you’ll need time to recuperate from your battle with Beerus before you test me?” Champa asked.

“Not at all,” Shin said. He focused his energy, and with a flash of white, his energy was restored. Beerus and Champa both stared in amazement.

“Alright then.” Champa nodded.

Champa’s fighting style was different from Beerus’, but just as unique. It was more minimal, less movement, less dancing, but incredibly hard hits thrown with sudden force. It was as if Champa wanted to get the fight over with. But it was clear that Champa was at least equal to Shin’s abilities.

“Well, it’s clear to me you both possess immense strength. If you are both willing, then as the Supreme Kai of Universe 7, I am officially offering you the positions of Gods of Destruction.”

Champa and Beerus looked at each other and nodded.

“I accept.” Said Beerus.

“Me too.” Said Champa.

“Excellent! We should leave right away,” Shin said. “You may pack anything you like, but everything will be provided to you.”

“I’ll make sure our stuff gets to someone who needs it.” Champa said.

Beerus stepped a little closer to Shin.

“Is there...time to say good-bye?” He asked softly. Evidently, not softly enough, as Champa yelled:

“Who do you need to say good-bye to? Your favorite hooker?”

“Shut up!” Beerus growled.

“Yes, there’s time. We’ll be here when you’re ready.” Shin said. Beerus took off.

He was gone for quite some time. When questioned, Champa admitted he really had no idea who he wanted to say good-bye to. Beerus didn’t have a girlfriend or any family around besides Champa.

When Beerus returned, he seemed different. Tired and sad. He was quiet.

“Are you ready, Lord Beerus?” Shin asked Beerus seemed surprised at his new title. He nodded.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” He said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that there is no Whis in this chapter at all 🙈 I promise he will be here next chapter


	2. The Eridu Genesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having agreed to become Gods of Destruction, Beerus and Champa’s lives are quickly turned upside down and they try to comprehend the strange new world they have found themselves a part of. Universes, angels, new homes, bonding ceremonies, and unexpected emotions, and it’s only the first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: misogyny, internalized homophobia, poverty, slavery, non-sexual nudity mention, abuse, violence, blood, bullying, ableism, suicide mention, death mention

Beerus felt his stomach in knots as he watched the planet grow smaller and smaller beneath him. To leave his world felt strange and unnatural. The people in his world didn’t have space travel. The Supreme Kai explained that his world was not as advanced in astronomy as others. Beerus agreed.

“What is Universe 7?” He asked. He was seated on the floor of the vessel, unable to shake the feeling that he could fall through the translucent floor. Champa wasn’t doing much better, pressed into a corner and clinging to the walls with his claws.

“Ah,” Shin said. Kibito sent a concerned look in his direction. “Your attendants will be able to explain better, but there are many universes. They live side by side. The universe that I am the Supreme Kai for is Universe 7. This is not common knowledge, mortals almost never hear this.”

“What’s a universe?” Champa asked. Shin paused.

“Ah. Yes. Well, this expanse that’s we’re in, with all the stars and planets within, stretching on seemingly endlessly in every direction. This is a universe. As I said, your attendants will be better able to explain what it is.”

“What is an attendant again?” Beerus asked, closing his eyes as he began to feel dizzy. So much information had been thrown at him in just the past few hours, he couldn’t make much sense of it, and the feeling of floating through the void was making him feel sick.

“An attendant watches over the God of Destruction. They’ll provide for you, training you, serving you meals, tending to your needs, and they will also ensure that you follow the rules. They are an impartial partner.” Shin explained.

“Sounds like you’re giving us a wife,” Champa laughed.

The place they arrived to was peculiar, like a massive, white palace. Beerus and Champa instinctively stood close to each other in the unfamiliar setting. The Supreme Kai and Kibito lead them down a very long hallway to a round room, its walls were lined with containers of all different shapes, most about the same height as Beerus’ forearm length. Each container appeared to be made of extremely fragile crystal, and had a small orb inside, each glowing in a different color.

In the center of the room, someone appeared. He was about the same height as the Supreme Kai, but his skin was a pale blue, and his hair was white. Shin and Kibito bowed, and Beerus and Champa followed.

“Grand Minister, thank you for meeting us.”  
Shin said.

“Not at all, Supreme Kai,” he said. “Lord Beerus, Lord Champa, welcome,” Beerus and Champa were both still uncomfortable with being called “Lord.” It all seemed so sudden. “I understand you two will be needing attendants. Currently there are two angels available to attend to our new Gods of Destruction.”

“Angels?” Champa repeated. “Like in the legends on our world, spirits who work for gods?”

“Quite a bit different from the legends of your world, but fundamentally the idea is there. We hold numerous duties, one of which is to be attendants to the Gods of Destruction,” The Grand Minister explained. He held out a hand, and two of the crystal containers floated down from the shelves and hovered on either side of him high in the air. “Whis, Vados, please introduce yourselves to our new gods.” Each container took a form.

Beerus felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He had never seen anyone so beautiful. They were both very tall, both with the same light blue skin as the Grand Minister, and white hair like his, but the one on his left wore it high atop his head, and the other wore it in a long, high ponytail. They both had long eyelashes and wore makeup. Beerus stared at the one on the left, his lavender eyes, his gentle smile.

“It’s an honor,” they both said, bowing deeply.

“My name is Whis,” the one on the left said.

“My name is Vados,” Said the other.

Beerus could feel his tail quiver with excitement. He quickly checked to see if anyone noticed, but it didn’t seem like anyone did.

“Now, my Lords, you can select your attendant based on whatever merit you like. They will remain your attendant for as long as you remain Gods of Destruction.”

Beerus felt a spike of panic. He stared at Whis. Whis was looking right at him.

“They’re training us, right? Then I want to know who’s stronger, so I can be stronger than my brother.” Champa said.

“They’re of equal strength.” The Grand Minister said.

“Well, that takes the fun out of it. Alright then, I guess I’ll—“

“I want Whis!” Beerus blurted. All eyes were on him. He felt his face burning red. “As...as my attendant.”

“Okay...weirdo...” Champa muttered. “I was going to choose Vados anyway.”

“Oh.” Beerus said.

“Excellent choices,” The Grand Minister said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to get acquainted.” He vanished.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Whis said. He was suddenly right in front Beerus.

“Ah, uh, yes, thank you,” Beerus stammered. He rubbed his face and groaned.

“It’s alright if you don’t feel up for conversation. You’ve had a rather eventful day.” Whis said. Beerus nodded. He was beginning to feel a little awkward. He just chose someone to work with him for the rest of his life based on appearance and he didn’t know anything about him.

“Lord Beerus, Lord Champa,” the Supreme Kai said. “Your attendants will take care of the rest. I’ll see you at the bonding.”

“Yes, thank you for everything,” Beerus bowed. Champa followed.

“No need to bow. We’re equals now,” Shin said with a grin. He stepped back and put a hand on Kibito’s arm. “Kai-kai.” They vanished.

“So, Beerus,” Champa suddenly sidled up to him. “Tell me something, what made you choose him?” He gestured toward Whis. Beerus felt his face heat.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He said.

“Well, my thought is,” Champa was whispering now. “If I have to spend the rest of my life with some stranger, I’d at least want it to be a pretty lady. But you chose the pretty...boy...” Champa looked at him sideways. Beerus shoved him away.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not like they’re—“ he double-checked that the angel attendants were not listening. “Concubines or something. I just picked him because I felt like it. You’re the one calling him ‘pretty.’” He added.

“Whatever you say. Oh, by the way, who did you say good-bye to? You took forever, I was ready to leave without you.”

Beerus felt a jolt of pain all over again. One that had finally numbed, at least a little, when he saw Whis. There was a sting of guilt in his chest. He swallowed hard.

“That’s none of your damn business.” He growled.

“Oh, touchy. Must be someone really embarrassing. Who was it? Huh? Old Lady Qet? Had to be someone really ugly if you’re acting so nervous about it.”

“Shut up!” Beerus snarled. He lunged at Champa. He was about to punch him hard enough to knock him out when suddenly, his body froze. Champa was frozen, too. Neither of them could move. Beerus’ eyes moved over to where Whis and Vados stood.

“Now, now, my Lords, you can’t be fighting like this.” Vados said. Her staff glowed, and the two of them were pushed to opposite sides of the room. They were given their ability to move again, but both seemed frozen by fear.

“I think now would be a good time to find homes for our new Lords. Then after the bonding, you’ll have a place to rest.” Whis said.

Beerus nodded and stepped toward Whis.

“How does this work?” He asked.

“Put your hand in my back and I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” Whis said. Beerus hesitated before resting his hand on Whis’ shoulder.

They were streaming through space, the expanse turned white around them, yet the ride felt gentle and easy.

“I...I don’t really know where we should go. I didn’t even know there were other worlds before today. How should I know what sort of world I want?” He said. Whis nodded.

“I think I know what we can do.” He said.

They landed on a nearby planet, somewhere on a grassy hill. Beerus looked around in confusion.

“Now, if you could, Lord Beerus, try to imagine a dream home. It can be anything you like. Just picture it,” Beerus closed his eyes and focused. He had never thought about it much. Somewhere where it didn’t get too cold, but also didn’t get too hot, somewhere where the sun wasn’t so bright and harsh, but it still didn’t rain constantly. Somewhere with greenery, like the banks after flood season. A big, petrified tree palace in the middle to call his own? Maybe that was a wish too far. “Now look me in the eyes.”

Beerus felt nervous as he opened his eyes. Whis was looking at him with an intense stare. It struck Beerus then that maybe Whis was reading his thoughts, and he started to focus very hard on not letting any embarrassing thoughts enter his mind. After a moment, Whis smiled again.

“Perfect, I know just the place.” He said. He turned so Beerus could place his hand on his back again. They were off again.

After a few minutes, They landed on a planet. It was pleasantly warm, but otherwise barren. He looked into the sky. It was a mix of oranges and purples and pinks, as if it were sunset. Beerus looked around. Was this really the sort of place he had imagined? It was rocky and there was no plant life at all.

“The process of terraforming may take some time. Please relax.” Whis said. Beerus sat on a rock. In a few seconds, the planet began to tremble violently. Loud sounds of cracking and crumbling ripped through the silent space. Then, it stopped. He looked up to Whis from where he had fallen on the ground. Whis was waving his staff about, his eyes glittering. Beerus felt his heart leap. He was changing the shape of this entire world by just standing there. Beerus suddenly felt strangely small.

He watched as rivers appeared through the ground, as the soil changed beneath his feet, he felt the air pressure and humidity change, and finally, a massive, petrified tree in the center of it all.

Whis turned to Beerus.

“I hope you don’t mind, I took some liberties with the color palate.” He said.

Beerus looked around.

He was in paradise. It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. He stared. He suddenly had the sickening feeling that maybe all of this was a dream. Seeing this world in front of him, his world, it was too much, it couldn’t be real.

“There is some time before the bonding, would you like to see your palace?” Whis asked.

Beerus looked at him.

“Yes,” he said softly. He rested his hand on Whis’ back again and in an instant, they were at the base of the tree. Whis lead him forward, describing the designs and their benefits and purposes. Beerus kept touching things to be sure they were real.

All this was his.

It was impossible. Beerus was a peasant. Just a few hours ago he was in his mud-brick hut with his stupid brother, and they were struggling to keep up with enough money for wine and bread and to keep living in the mud-brick hut so one of them didn’t have to sell the other into slavery. They fought in illegal street fighting rings, winning gambled money, that’s how they got through the dry season. When flood season came, they’d work tending to crops or making mud-bricks. Beerus didn’t own a palace. He didn’t have a whole entire world to himself. He didn’t have a beautiful angel to tend to his every need. That was absurd.

When they walked into the kitchen, Beerus nearly fainted. There was food everywhere. An abundance. Not just cheap loaves of bread made by a neighborhood baker. There was fruit and vegetables, dishes he’d never seen before, meat kept in cold containers. Whis pointed out a large, translucent tank filled with water on one side of the dining room.

“It’s an aquarium. Once you’re settled in we can catch all sorts of delicious aquatic creatures for you to snack on.” Whis said.

Beerus fell to his knees. He buried his face in his hands, trying to hide the tears that were suddenly flowing down his face. He tried to fight them back but to no avail. It was humiliating for him, Beerus rarely ever cried, and certainly never cried in front of others. Even Champa had never seen him cry, and now here he was, crying in front of this beautiful ethereal angel he had just met. Whis slowly knelt down to meet Beerus’ level.

“Are you alright, my Lord?” He asked softly. There was no judgment on his voice. He seemed concerned if anything.

Beerus wiped away his tears.

“Is this...really all mine?” He asked.

“Yes, it is.”

“Do—“ Beerus hesitated. He almost didn’t dare ask. He took a shaky breath. “Do I have a bed?”

Whis seemed a little surprised by the question.

“Yes, of course,” He said. He offered a hand to help Beerus back up. “Would you like to see?”

Beerus nodded, not wanting to look directly at Whis at the moment.

The bedroom was a peculiar space, nice and cool, and the bed hovered in the middle of the dark room. Beerus floated up to it to get a closer look. He ran a hand over the bedding. It was soft and smooth, like silk. He pushed down on the mattress and was met with an unbelievably supple texture. Beerus had never felt anything so soft. He had always slept on straw mats or right on the ground.

“Can...can I lay on it?” He asked.

“Whatever you wish, my Lord.” Whis said.

Beerus climbed into the bed and fell back against its cushion. It was so comfortable he felt like he’d fall asleep in an instant. He began to laugh, while at the same time fighting back more tears.

“Th-this is insane,” he said, pulling a corner of the blanket over his head. Whis floated up to observe him.

“Lord Beerus, I understand the Supreme Kai was quite occupied, but did he explain to you what the bonding process is like?” He said. Beerus sat up.

“That? Uh, let me see...I don’t remember.” He said.

“May I?” Whis gestured to the bed. Beerus felt his face flush. He nodded. Whis sat on the edge of the bed, crossing his legs daintily.

Oh.

Beerus could feel his heart racing. Whis was so close. Sitting by him. Sitting on a bed by him. The two of them on a bed together. He was so beautiful. Those soft, violet eyes beneath long eyelashes. His gentle smile behind painted lips. Beerus caught his scent, a strangely familiar one. Nearly identical to the scent of the warm winds the night before a great storm struck. It was the only time Beerus had ever seen rain. The priests said the storm happened because the gods had been angry. If this was what rage smelled like, Beerus thought he’d want to cause storms every day.

It occurred to him that Whis was talking.

“Did you listen to any of that?” Whis asked, a slight hint of annoyance in his tone.

“Ah...uh, sorry. I’m a little tired today.” He said. He remembered Whis somehow pulling his idea of a perfect paradise out of his head and suddenly began to worry that maybe Whis could see all of his thoughts.

Whis just continued.

“Alright, I’ll start again. The process of bonding is a rather intense one. Bonding two otherwise unconnected souls will feel overwhelming. Emotionally and physically, it’s often quite painful. During the bonding, you will likely relive things you don’t want to relive, feel things you don’t normally feel, and you will feel intense pain. Some of the pain and memories and feelings will be yours, and some will be the Supreme Kai’s. For you, there is a slight difference, however.”

“What do you mean?” Beerus asked.

“Currently you are still mortal. Once you are bonded with the Supreme Kai, you will not be. Mortals who are turned into deities require significantly more rest than mortals or deities. You will sleep for much longer amounts of time than you’re used to. By your calendar, half a century or so.”

Beerus stared.

“H-half a century? At a time?” He cried.

“Considering you’ll live billions of years, you’ll actually statistically be sleeping less than you did as a mortal,” Whis said. “It’s often quite a shock for new Gods of Destruction, both the pain and the long sleeping times. Are you absolutely certain you can handle this?”

“Hey, don’t go thinking I’m soft just because of that...moment I had earlier, okay? I can handle anything, what happened before was just...just a fluke, alright?” Beerus snapped. He was so embarrassed he felt like he was burning alive. He hated himself for crying like that.

“Of course.” Whis said, though Beerus got the impression he wasn’t fully convinced.

“You said the Supreme Kai and I will share things like memories and feelings, right? Does that mean he’ll have my memories and know things about me after this is done?” Beerus asked.

“It’s unlikely either of you will remember much of the process, but to be honest, some deities do. Is that a problem?”

“No, not a problem. It’s just that some things are better if we never talk about them.” He said.

“Good. Then you should start getting ready.”

Whis lead Beerus to a spring and explained that this was his bath. Beerus never had a bath of his own, he just bathed in the river. It was massive and beautiful.

Whis stood just outside. Beerus lay back in the soothingly warm water. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. He just needed to get through this bonding, then he would have a break. Maybe a half-century break.

When he was done in the bath, Whis had left some strange new clothes out for him. A pair of baggy pants and a top that sat on his shoulders. They were bright blue in color. The fabric was soft and light, and they seemed to be sized to him perfectly. There were also shoes, which Beerus was a little uncertain about, as he had never worn shoes like them before, he had always been barefoot or occasionally in sandals. He was pleasantly surprised that they were rather comfortable, and his feet could still move in them.

He stepped out of the bath area where Whis awaited him. Whis stared at him for a moment, looking him up and down. Beerus almost felt like he was being inspected, which made him nervous as these clothes were pretty different from the plain linen shenti he usually wore and he wasn’t certain if he was wearing them correctly. But Whis smiled.

“You look like a Destroyer.” He said.

“Uh, thank you,” Beerus muttered. “Listen, don’t tell anyone about...all that stuff earlier.”

“Of course,” Whis nodded. “Shall we?”

Beerus placed a hand on his attendant’s back.

A few minutes later, they were at another large, white building. It had open sides, the roof held up by ornate columns. They stepped inside. Shin was already there with Kibito. The Supreme Kai of Universe 6, where Champa had been assigned, was there as well. After a moment, Vados and Champa arrived. Champa was wearing similar clothes to Beerus’, only more of a dark red color.

“I’ll go first, since I am the older twin.” Champa announced loudly. Beerus rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue. He hoped it would help to see someone else go through the process.

Champa and the Supreme Kai of Universe 6 stood on opposite sides of a glowing pillar of light. They each reached a hand inside and clasped them. Champa was smirking confidently. The Supreme Kai was muttering nervously under his breath.

“If you’re ready, I’ll begin.” Vados said. She raised her staff. Champa and the Supreme Kai began to glow with a brilliant white light. At first, they both looked quite surprised, almost delighted.

Then the screaming began.

Both of them crumbled, but their hands remained held together. Their features both distorted as pain ripped through them. Champa opened his eyes briefly at one point, and they showed nothing but terror. It only lasted a few seconds but it felt like hours, standing in that room, listening to his brother and the Supreme Kai screaming in agony. The white light faded, and their hands released. Both collapsed limply to the ground.

“Champa!” Beerus cried. He ran to Champa’s side. Vados knelt beside him.

“He’s alright, he’s just asleep. Becoming immortal takes a lot out of you.” She said. Beerus looked back down at his brother. He didn’t look any different.

“So he’s really immortal now?” He asked.

“That’s right.” She said.

Vados scooped Champa up and vanished. The Supreme Kai of Universe 6 was teleported out by his assistant.

Beerus felt himself shaking. He looked to Shin. Shin looked nervous as well, but he stepped forward. Beerus did so as well. He sent a final nervous glance to Whis before placing his hand in the beam. Shin followed. He gave Beerus’ hand a reassuring squeeze and nodded.

“It’s going to be alright.” He said softly. His eyes were frightened. Beerus gave a gentle squeeze back and nodded.

“It is.” He said.

“Try to relax,” Whis said. Beerus could not even begin to think of relaxing.

The white light was warm, and it felt nice. Strangely soothing. Then it was as if thunder went off inside his own head. Agony seemed to tear through him, and he was flooded with strange things. Feelings. Fears. Joys.

_He remembered standing in the grassy hills, playing in the ferns with his siblings, running naked in the rain._

Not his memory. Shin’s.

He remembered when it was the middle of the dry season, it was so hot that Champa collapsed. Beerus was so afraid. He put Champa on a mat and dragged him all the way to the river and splashed him until he woke up. There were both just little boys.

_He remembered the night at the pier, how bright the moons were, how he could barely breathe, how the air felt so unbelievably heavy. How the beautiful Kai stood, his hair hanging long by his shoulders, the deep violet tone of his skin caught by the pale moonlight._

_“I’m sorry, Shin. I don’t feel the same.”_

He remembered the lashings. The sting of the whip. Staggering back to the hut still bleeding. Champa sitting on the dirt floor, waiting for him, his face still soft and round with youth.

“We’re going to run away. We’ll get away from here and we’ll live free, just the two of us.” Champa said. Beerus nodded.

“I know.”

_WAP! He fell to the ground._

_“You see? You’re too weak to be the Supreme Kai. You can’t take a hit, much less throw one. Just give up.”_

_He remembered how angry being called weak made him. He lunged. He had never fought like this before, wrestling like a mad animal. He felt his fellow Kais pulling him away._

_“This is what I mean,” the other Kai sneered. “You’re emotionally volatile. You can’t be a Supreme Kai if you can’t be rational. You’re weak, physically and spiritually.”_

“I hate you! I never want to see you again!”

_“He killed himself last night.”_

“Liar! I know who you really are!”

_“You know I love you, but I can’t do this anymore.”_

“Stop! Stop!”

_“They’re all dead and it’s all my fault!”_

“I love you, but I have to go. Even if it means you hate me.”

Blackness.

Beerus awoke in his bed. He was disoriented for several minutes. At first he thought everything that had happened, meeting the Supreme Kai and becoming a god, had all been a dream. But he was laying in a bed, in the bedroom just as he remembered it. He sat up. He couldn’t remember the bonding. The last thing he remembered was his conversation with Shin, holding his hand.

He looked out groggily. Then he hovered sleeping down to the floor. He realized he was wearing pajamas. Had Whis changed his clothes while he was sleeping?

He shook his head. He was not awake enough for that line of thought.

He wandered the palace, still quite dazed and confused. After a few minutes, Whis appeared before him.

“Ah, there you are Lord Beerus. Did you sleep well?” He said. Beerus rubbed his eyes and nodded.

“What happened?” He grumbled.

“The bonding was successful. You and the Supreme Kai now share a lifespan.”

Beerus let that sink in. He nodded.

“How’d the Supreme Kai take it?”

“He lost consciousness for a few hours, but he got some rest on his home world. Last I heard he was fully recovered and on a mission of some sort.”

Beerus frowned.

“How long was I out?”

“By your calendar,” said Whis. “60 years.”

Beerus felt his stomach drop. He ran, past Whis, until he reached the balcony. He looked over at his world. The plants had grown, there was a whole forest now. There were some fauna as well, insects, fish. Whis appeared behind him.

“60 years? This is impossible, I haven’t even been alive for 60 years!”

“You have now.” Whis said with a smile.

Beerus slowly sat down. He felt dizzy.

“So much time gone. I...I don’t understand,” he said. “How long did my brother sleep?”

“Lord Champa is still asleep, but he’ll likely awaken soon enough. The record time for a new Destroyer’s first sleep is 87 years.” Whis said.

“So...now what?”

“First, I think it would be best if you took a bath. You haven’t taken one in 60 years, after all. Then I’ll prepare breakfast. Afterwards, training will begin, and in the afternoon, your studies.” Whis said.

“Studies?”

“Bath first, Lord Beerus.” He grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you there’d be Whis in this chapter 😎 And yes, Beerus and Champa’s homeworld just happens to use an extremely similar calendar to ours 🤭 What a coincidence!


	3. Myth of Cattle and Grain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beerus awakens from the bonding ceremony and begins to learn the ropes. It turns out, there’s a lot to being a God of Destruction, and Beerus is quickly feeling out of his depth. Learning to fight is one thing, but astronomy, politics, and language? On top of that, keeping secrets buried has the awful tendency to take away focus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: slavery, poverty, canon-typical violence, imposter syndrome, alcohol mentions, parental death mention, internalized homophobia, let me know if you would like anything else tagged 
> 
> Sorry about the unexpected break!

Beerus dressed in the fresh, clean set of clothes Whis had laid out for him. He wandered into the dining room, and found a feast across the table. He was very hungry, even the warm water of the bath didn’t soothe his stomach. It was the sort of hunger he hadn’t felt since he was a slave, after working nearly all day on little to no food. But this time, a hot meal awaited him. He approached the table.

“Please, sit, my Lord,” Whis said. “I wasn’t certain what you’d like, so I made a mix of some of the finest delicacies in the universe.”

Beerus was a little dumbfounded and not sure where to start. He didn’t recognize anything, but it smelled delicious. He cautiously reached for what appeared to be a purple fruit. He was about to bite into it when he noticed Whis, standing in the corner.

“Uh, are you not eating?” He said.

“I don’t require food.” Whis replied.

“You don’t eat? Ever?” Beerus cried, nearly dropping the fruit.

“I do sometimes. Most Gods of Destruction prefer not to share their food.”

“Yeah? Well...” Beerus frowned. That was normal? “I don’t like to eat alone. It’s weird.”

Whis looked a little surprised, but nodded and sat at the table, a place setting appeared from his staff. He put some fish and some fruit on his plate. Beerus watched with interest before he turned back to the fruit in his hand.

He took a bite.

The juice surprised him, it had been a very long time since Beerus had eaten fruit. It was sweet and a little sour.

“Mm!” He exclaimed. It was bliss. He had been living off cheap bread and wine for so long, occasionally he and Champa could scrounge up enough for some dried fish, but that was all. He hadn’t had fruit since he was a child, and certainly never one like this. He was so enraptured by the fruit he almost forgot Whis was sitting there beside him.

Whis was watching with interest. He didn’t seem bothered at all. He was eating his own food.

Beerus was lost in the food for a time. He ate until he was stuffed, a little of everything. Most of the flavors were very different from anything he had in his home world, but he enjoyed them nonetheless.

“What does all this...training and studying involve?” Beerus asked when he had finished.

“Oh, it will be quite a bit. For today, I’ll test you and see where you are and what we can work to improve. Your studies are going to need to cover a lot of ground, as well. You need to understand the divine hierarchy, a fair bit of astronomy, and of course, you will need to learn the divine language.”

Beerus frowned.

“I didn’t know I’d have to become a scholar. I’ve never been to school.” He said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it too much, you have as long as you need to learn everything you need to learn.”

“What about training? You’re going to be the one to train me?”

“That’s right.” Said Whis.

Beerus tried to think of a way to say “you don’t look like a fighter” without it being offensive.

“You don’t look like a fighter.”

Whis laughed. Beerus’ heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not a fighter, of course. But I can teach you everything you need to know.” He said.

This didn’t reassure Beerus at all.

They stood on the grass that had grown in the 60 years that Beerus was dead.

‘ _Sleeping_ ,’ he reminded himself. ‘ _Not dead_.’ Although this entire experience had been so surreal that Beerus wasn’t entirely certain he hadn’t died and was currently lost in some sort of bizarre afterlife fever dream.

“The first task for your training is simple. I want you to come at me with everything you have.” Whis said. Beerus immediately had the unfortunate mental image of himself breaking one of Whis’ slender arms.

“Are you sure about that? I don’t want to hurt you.” He said.

Whis smirked. There was something very telling in that smirk, as if the very idea that he could be hurt at all was amusing to him.

“Don’t worry about that, Lord Beerus. Think of this as a placement exam. I need you to show me what you can do.” He said.

Beerus fell into his fighting stance, though he still felt uneasy. Whis stood in his place.

“Let’s begin.”

Beerus shot forward. He threw a punch but it fell through empty air. How? Whis was just there. He swiped with his tail behind him, but Whis was gone again. He was moving so fast Beerus could barely register it was happening at all.

“Surely you can strike me at least once.” Whis said.

Beerus growled. He charged, throwing hits rapidly, each one falling through the air. Most infuriatingly, Whis was clearly not using any effort to dodge his attacks. Beerus spun back, and with a growl, his energy spiked around him in soft, white wisps. He fired small, sharp blasts of energy toward Whis. Whis dodged all of them. Beerus lunged again, no longer holding back anything, he threw everything he had into going after Whis. He dodged around him and slammed his fist into Whis’ spine.

The moment the hit landed, Beerus immediately regretted it. Whis wasn’t a fighter, and this was a punch hard enough that Beerus had broken many bones with it in the past. Beerus hadn’t meant to hurt him.

When he looked up, however, Whis was smiling.

“Not bad,” he said. Beerus stared. Did Whis not even feel it? He didn’t seem affected at all. Actually now that he was regaining his senses, Beerus was beginning to noticed that his hand hurt more than it should have. What the hell was Whis made out of? “Clearly some work to do,” Beerus straightened up, still dumbfounded by what had just happened.

“How did you—“

“Your speed and strength are both rather impressive for your level, but your _ki_ control is woefully lacking.”

“ _Ki?_ ” Beerus shook his head, trying to clear out the confusion. “Do you mean this?” He focused his energy to summon a small, sharp ball of light on his hand.

“Precisely.”

“We called it _ka_ where I’m from.” He said.

“It has many names, but fundamentally it’s the same concept. It’s energy within you, but you have difficulty controlling it, so it appears unstable, and you can’t hold it for long, which means you fire rapid bursts instead of being able to form an attack that might do some solid damage in one hit.” Whis said. Beerus frowned.

“Oh. Where I’m from, only the priests were allowed to use _ka_ , I had a friend in the temple who taught me how, but I couldn’t practice with it very often or I’d risk punishment.” He said, perhaps too defensively.

Whis held out a hand and a perfectly round sphere of bright, pure, white light appeared, about the size of the fruit Beerus had for breakfast.

“With enough practice, you can accurately control the shape, size, and power of the blast,” As he spoke, the orb grew larger, then smaller. He formed it into a cube shape and let it spin above his palm.

“I’ll be able to do that?” Beerus said.

“Much more than that. With a single blast you’ll be able to take out entire planets with just a flick of your hand,” Whis said. The light disappeared and he turned his attention back to Beerus. “There are many different types of energies, you’ll learn how to control and utilize them all. Show me again.”

Beerus formed the ball in his hand, less of a ball and more of a thorny bundle.

“Slow your breathing and focus,” Whis said.

“I am focusing.”

“What you’re doing is thinking. I need you to focus.”

“I’m trying!” He said.

“Here,” Whis placed his hand beneath Beerus’. Beerus felt his heart skip a beat. “You’re too tense. Relax your body,” Beerus wasn’t sure how he was supposed to relax when Whis was holding his hand. But he took a deep breath. He felt his body relaxing. “Very good. Now, give it a shape. Focus. Your energy takes the form you give it through concentration.”

Beerus focused. Whis stroked his hand gently before hovering it over his. He felt his energy shifting through his fingertips, and to his amazement, the ball in his hand changed shape until it was a smooth, round orb.

“I did it.” Beerus said.

Whis moved his hand away.

“It’s a start. For now, learning to control your _ki_ will be the main focus of your training. The sooner you learn to us your hakai, the better.”

“What’s a hakai?”

“A hakai is a very specialized technique for Destroyers. You’ll be able to erase anyone or anything you desire.”

“How does it work?”

“You’re a few steps away still. First, you must learn better control of your regular _ki_. Then you’ll need to learn how to sense and control divine energy, and then your special Destroyer energy.”

“I have special energy?”

“Not yet, you don’t,” Whis said. “Now, do it again.”

Whis was a strict teacher. Not harsh or cruel, but he definitely didn’t tolerate any slacking or lack of focus. But he also seemed incredibly observant, and seemed to adapt to what Beerus needed as they went along.

Focusing his _ki_ took an incredible amount of energy and focus, and after a few hours of work, Beerus was so exhausted he could feel himself physically shaking.

“I think that’s enough for today. Why don’t we get something to eat and then we can start on your studies.” Whis said. Beerus plopped down into the grass, trying to catch his breath.

“Yeah, okay,” he said weakly. Then, “Wait, we get to eat again?”

Sure enough, a beautiful spread was prepared for lunch. Beerus was used to wine for breakfast and bread for lunch, with some watery beer to get him through in between. Here it seemed he would have three meals every day, just like the royalty on his home world. Not only that, but Whis said that he could bring him any food he liked, any time he asked. That seemed completely insane to Beerus, whose stomach could barely fit an entire second meal. Whis assured him that his appetite would grow in time.

After eating until he was absolutely stuffed again for lunch—another thing Whis said he would eventually get the hang of—Beerus felt exhausted. He leaned his head against the table and sighed. He almost felt like he could nap, even after sleeping for 60 years.

“Are you ready? We should depart soon.” Whis said. Beerus looked up at him in mild surprise.

“Depart? To where?”

“It’s time for an astronomy lesson,” He said. Beerus was only more confused. “We’ll be covering some of the basics about the universe, and I’ll show you some real examples of what I’m speaking of.”

“Oh,” said Beerus as he slowly sat upright. “I thought we’d be like the temple scholars, holed up in some stuffy room looking at old scrolls.”

“We could do that if you really wanted to,” Whis smiled. “But I get the feeling you would learn better by seeing.”

Beerus stood and placed his hand on Whis’ back. In a few seconds, they were in space, looking at Beerus’ new planet from a distance.

Beerus felt unsteady at first, much like he had in Shin’s transparent vessel. He grabbed Whis’ arm nervously.

“I imagine on your world, your people had some very elaborate concepts about the stars and the deities behind them. Is that so?”

“Yes,” Beerus said. “Our mother goddess, she wrapped our land in black silk to protect us from her husband’s light. Her husband—the father god—was the sun. His light was once always on as he watched over with both eyes, so hot that no river could flow. She covered us so that life could flourish. She and her husband had a deal, so he can look upon us with one eye for half the day, and she kept us wrapped the rest of the time, and he looked upon us through the silk, and his other eye became the moon. The stars are our souls, when we die we take place among the silk and watch over our families from her side,” he added with an ironic laugh. “I’m guessing we got a couple details wrong.”

“That may be, but not everything. Your people charted stars and understood how there was a pattern in the way they appeared in the sky, correct?”

“Yes, but,” he paused and frowned, looking around. “The stars don’t appear to move.”

“Come with me,” Whis said. Beerus placed his hand on Whis’ back again. In a flash, they were floating above a planet. At first, Beerus didn’t fully understand what he was meant to be looking at. The very concept that land was on a massive sphere floating in a cold void was one that Beerus still hadn’t been able to wrap his head around even as he saw it with his own eyes from Shin’s vessel. On closer inspection, however, it became clear.

“The world moves, not the stars?” He said.

“That’s right.” Whis said.

“You mean my entire life I was on a giant spinning ball in this dark void and yet I never felt it?” Even as Beerus said it and watched it happen, it seemed so unbelievable.

“Correct. From on the land of most planets, it’s quite difficult to feel the rotation.”

Beerus was beginning to feel terribly small. Was he really a god? Could he really command the stars? Destroy planets? Was he really so powerful when he was barely a speck compared to the vastness of this universe—this universe which was only one of many?

Whis seemed to sense Beerus’ discomfort.

“Shall we return home?” He asked. Beerus nodded.

Beerus felt an overwhelming sense of doubt when he reached his planet again. He stood in the grass and stared out at the world that was his home. Maybe it was sick, but part of him couldn’t help but feel homesick. At least his life on his world made sense, even if it was a cruel and difficult life. There was no talk of universes, no expectations to be able to destroy worlds or have incredible power.

Whis took him to a small table outside the palace with a beautiful view of a lake.

“Forgive the question, my Lord,” He said. “Can you read in any language?”

“A little. Not much.” He said.

“Your native hieroglyphs?” Whis asked. Beerus nodded.

“Outside of the temples and the palace, there wasn’t much need for reading.”

“I see,” Whis said. There was no judgment in his voice, but Beerus couldn’t help but feel out of place. “Was it your friend in the temple who taught you to read?”

Beerus turned away.

“Yeah. He did.”

Whis lay a piece of parchment in front of him and an ink pen.

“If you don’t mind, would you show me a little of what you know?”

Beerus studied the pen for a moment. He had never used one like it, he had practiced by etching into clay or painting with paints from the temple when he could. After a moment, he began to write his name.

“ _Bee_ ,” a symbol represented by a bundle of wheat.  
“ _Ru_ ,” a symbol represented by the waves of the river.  
“ _S,_ ” a symbol represented by a clay jar.

Roughly, it could be translated to mean “one who brews beer.” Beer was once the more popular drink in his land, but it had become less popular as wine began to be imported from other lands.

Whis studied the characters.

“Nicely done,” he said.

“You can read it?” Beerus asked.

“I can read a variety of languages,” Whis said. Something about the oversimplified way he put it gave Beerus the sense that Whis knew every language that had ever existed, but he was sure that was impossible. “Can you write my name?”

Beerus had to think for a moment to remember the symbols. Whis would not be a name likely to be found in his land.

“ _Wi_ ,” a symbol represented by a necklace.  
“ _S_ ,” the same as in Beerus’ name, a clay jar.

Looking at it, Beerus supposed it could be translated to either “one who collects gold” or “one who creates gold.”

“Excellent work,” Whis remarked. “Your calligraphy is impressive. Can you try a short sentence?”

Beerus frowned. He looked at the parchment.

“I...never really learned how...” he confessed. It was strange. Not being able to read or write was never something Beerus had any reason to feel self-conscious or ashamed of, it was uncommon to learn these things. Yet now, not even knowing how to write his own language and knowing that he was going to be expected to learn at least one other language looming over him, he was beginning to feel very under-qualified.

“I see. How about the alphabet? Do you know all the symbols?” Whis said. He was completely polite and nothing in his tone suggested he thought it badly of Beerus for this. Still, Beerus couldn’t shake the nervousness sitting in his stomach.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

He began to write the characters on the page. They went vertically, top to bottom, then left to right. Whis sat beside him and watched.

“May I ask a personal question, Lord Beerus?” Whis asked. Beerus was a little surprised. Whis had thus far taken little interest in his personal life. Beerus looked up at him.

“Sure,” he said.

“You took an active interest in learning things that were meant only for temple scholars. Why not join the priesthood yourself?”

Beerus almost laughed.

“I don’t think I would have lasted long in the priesthood. I’m not really about living in peace and quiet, getting up at dawn to say some prayers and scrub the floors. I don’t like being bored, I always get into trouble.”

“So why the interest?”

“I lived in the temple for a while,” Beerus said. “Me and Champa both did, it was how we got out of slavery.”

Whis’ expression flickered, for a split second, he looked rather concerned, then his face returned to neutral.

“You were slaves?”

“For a little while, as kids. Our dad died, and mom didn’t survive childbirth. We went to our grandparents, but they couldn’t afford to keep us, they were too old and sickly already and could barely get by themselves. So they sold us. About five years in, we had an opportunity to escape, so we ran to the temple. Anyone within temple walls is considered protected by the gods, so we stayed there until our former owners gave up looking for us.”

“Is that where you met this friend of yours?”

“Yeah. He and I were close. He taught me some things just to help me get by better. It didn’t end up helping much in the long run, but it was nice.” Beerus said as he finished a column of characters.

“Did he teach these things to Lord Champa as well?”

“No,” Beerus felt a little anxious about the topic. He tried to think of how to word things carefully. “He was my friend more than Champa’s. Besides, he didn’t want to get caught teaching temple secrets and Champa’s a big fat blabbermouth.”

“Was he the one you were saying goodbye to for so long?”

Beerus started so hard that his pen scratched a line across the page.

“Where the hell did you hear that?” He cried, standing suddenly. Whis seemed bemused by his reaction.

“According to Vados, Lord Champa mentioned it a few times while they prepared his planet.”

Beerus felt his heart drop.

“Damn nosy bastard.” He growled.

“It was him, then?” Whis was smiling.

“You can’t repeat that to anyone, ever! Especially Champa, okay? Nobody can know!” Then, realizing he’s must have sounded like a raving lunatic, he added softly, “It’s complicated.”

“You have my word.” Whis said.

Beerus sank back down into his seat, and realized that he had ruined his writings. He crumpled the parchment and threw it aside before sighing in frustration and burying his face in his hands.

“What if I can’t do this?” He said. It was the thought that had been dancing around the edge of his mind all day. “What if I can’t be the God of Destruction?”

“You were selected by a god, and you meet all the qualifications, and you’ve already gone through with the bonding.” Whis said.

“But—I can’t even control my _ka_ and I can’t read or write even in my own language much less any other and then thought of being on a giant rotating ball floating through a black sea makes me feel sick—“

“Lord Beerus, there’s no need to concern yourself with these things. You have time to learn, all the time you need. There hasn’t been a Destroyer yet whom I haven’t been able to teach.” Whis said.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to get someone from the palace or something? Someone who already knows most of this stuff?” He asked.

Whis placed a hand on Beerus’ arm.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Gods of Destruction selected from lives of affluence often have a much more difficult time adjusting.”

Beerus stared at where Whis’ hand rested on him. It seemed to be radiating warmth.

“They do?”

“Oh yes. Someone who has lived in a palace is usually used to having things done a certain way, that is to say, their way. They don’t want to learn subjects that are unfamiliar to them, they don’t want to try new techniques as they’ve spent so long being praised for what they can already do, they’ve never wanted to expand. Someone like you already understands that not everything in life will be to your liking, and you already understand that little can be attained without hard work. I assure you, Lord Beerus, you are far more suited to being a God of Destruction than any prince or priest.”

Beerus felt his face going very red. He pulled his arm back.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Whis produced another sheet of parchment, but this time, he waved his staff and symbols appeared across the page.

“Can you read it?” Whis asked. Beerus looked over the hieroglyphs, and nodded.

“ _Tek’dwa kemt i ka-jwet_.” Were what the symbols read.

“You are already a god.”


	4. The Divine Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beerus gets word that Champa has finally awakened and is inviting him to visit his own planet. Hard at work in his training, ignoring the way his heart races around Whis, and destroying his first planet, he could use the break. But as it turns out, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: canon-typical violence, canon-compliant genocide, canon-compliant death, internalized homophobia, poverty discussed, body-shaming, slavery mention, let me know if you need anything else tagged

Day by day, it was beginning to feel more natural and less intimidating. After the first few weeks, the palace didn’t quite feel like home yet, but it was more comfortable to be there. The change in his sleeping habits was still bizarre to him. Since his 60-year sleep, Beerus had taken a few naps. One lasted four hours, another lasted six days. Whis assured him that his sleep cycle would eventually even out.

Seeing Whis every day was absolutely a perk. He was so beautiful that Beerus wanted to appreciate him like a work of art as often as he could. On top of that, he was pleasantly surprised by Whis’ personality. Whis was funny and intelligent and he loved food. Beerus was quickly learning that he loved food, too. He was no longer shoveling everything he could grab into his mouth until he was too stuffed to move. Beerus had begun to develop a palate, learning what kinds of foods he liked and didn’t like. Whis was an incredible cook as well, and he made the most fascinating dishes.

“Straighten your back, relax your shoulders,” Whis said, tapping Beerus’ spine with his staff.

“Dammit,” Beerus grumbled as he adjusted his posture.

“Keep your breathing steady,”

Beerus focused, then:

“YAH!” A massive beam of white light fired from his palms. He shifted his weight and raised his arms, twisting the beam’s shape into a spiral and arching it into the sky. “Ha! Look at that, I did it!”

“Your rhythm was off, and the energy itself could certainly have been more concentrated.” Whis said.

“What? Are you kidding? That was perfect!”

“No, it wasn’t. But it was an improvement.”

“You’re a perfectionist.” Beerus grumbled.

“Precision separates Destroyers from great Destroyers. You keep saying you want to be the strongest, but you must be willing to devote yourself to that level of awareness in every move you make.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll do it again,” Beerus sighed defeatedly. As he got into position, however, Whis’ staff began to flash. Beerus stopped what he was doing as he had never seen it do that before. “What’s that?”

“We’re getting a call.” Whis said.

“A what?” Beerus asked. An image of Vados appeared above the staff. Beerus was so startled by this that he fell the the ground.

“Good morning, Lord Beerus,” Vados said, bowing. Beerus stood and approached the image, waving his hand through the projected light, trying to figure out how she was there. “Lord Champa wished me to inform you that he has finally awakened.”

Beerus could see Champa in the background, shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

“Oh, I see,” Beerus took a step back and looked at them both. “Well it’s about time he got up!”

“Lord Champa will be busy with training over the next few weeks, but he does wish to extend a future invitation to have you come visit him on his planet after he has settled in.” Vados said.

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Beerus said.

Knowing that Champa was awake lifted a weight off of Beerus he didn’t even know was there. The thought that they would see each other again soon was also a strange relief. As much as Champa drove him crazy, it felt strange to not have him around. The two of them had always been together.

“So, Lord Beerus,” Whis said, bringing Beerus back to focus. “What do you think, would you like to destroy a planet today?”

Beerus sputtered.

“Do you think I’m ready?” He asked.

“Most certainly.”

“I still haven’t figured out the Destroyer energy or the hakai,” Beerus said, trying not to sound as uncertain as he felt. Whis only smiled patiently in return.

“Those will make things easier, that’s true. But they aren’t necessary. You have enough power now, and you’ve made tremendous progress with your _ki_ already. There’s no need to wait until you’ve mastered every aspect of your training.”

Beerus felt his face flush a little.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

They flew out into space, Beerus’ hand on Whis’ back.

“Did you have any particular planet in mind?” Whis asked. Beerus hadn’t visited many planets yet, he had been more focused on his training and studies. He shook his head.

“Not really.”

“Any preferences at all?”

“I don’t know,” Beerus was beginning to feel nervous the more he thought about it. Whis slowed to a stop.

“How about this one?” He said. They were near a large planet, a shocking yellow color in its atmosphere. Beerus straightened up and looked at it. He had never been to this planet. Never even seen it. He was beginning to tremble.

“How does this work? Do I have to go and tell these people what I’m about to do?”

“Not if you don’t want to. Most Gods of Destruction don’t visit their first planet. It makes the adjustment easier.” Whis’ voice was calm.

“There’s...living creatures on this planet. People.”

“Mortals. All of whom must die,” Whis said. “This is your job.”

Beerus was visibly shaking as he lifted his arm and began to gather energy. His _ki_ formed into a massive ball. It sat on the palm of his hand, growing larger.

“I’m...I’m doing the right thing, right? They...they have to die. Some mortals have to die. Some planets have to die.” The _ki_ seemed to be burning his arm. It felt strangely heavy.

“Lord Beerus, look at me,” Whis said. Beerus did so. Whis’ expression was very serious. “You can do this. This is what being a Destroyer is about. This is what you’ve been training for. You aren’t a mortal anymore. You’re a deity,” His voice lowered. “Now fire.”

Beerus did so, almost as if compelled.

The impact was incredible, the way the planet seemed to explode out into a million bits of debris, the way the atmosphere seemed to shred.

Beerus thought he’d feel regret, shame, grief. He did not. It was a thrill. He had never felt so powerful. Before he knew it, he was laughing.

“I did it! Do you see that, I did that!” He cried.

“Hit it again,” Whis said. He sounded almost breathless. There was something so intense in his eyes. Beerus couldn’t pull away from his gaze as he fired another blast.

The planet crumbled, it was nothing more than a mass of asteroids now.

Whis was so close. His scent, that unusual and intoxicating scent of oncoming danger, was stronger than it had ever been. Beerus could have almost sworn that expression he had was—

“Excellent work, Lord Beerus. Would you like to go home?”

“Huh?” Beerus was so thrown by the mundane conversation he didn’t understand the question at first. “Oh, yeah, sure.” He said.

The entire way home, Beerus couldn’t get Whis’ eyes out of his head. The way they seemed to glitter with something like...desire. Beerus shook his head. There was no way. That was surely just his imagination. Still, it didn’t settle the heat in his belly.

By the time they were home, Whis’ expression had returned to normal. Beerus couldn’t stop thinking about it. Those eyes. That scent. It was threatening to drive him crazy.

“Would you like some lunch?” Whis asked.

“Yes.” Beerus said automatically. He hoped food would provide a decent distraction.

They sat together, eating side by side. They were silent at first, Beerus too distracted by trying not to think about how attractive Whis was to make conversation. He didn’t even notice Whis glancing at him with interest.

“Lord Beerus,” he said. Beerus dropped his fork.

“Huh?”

“Forgive me for asking, but,” he began. Beerus suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that he was in trouble, maybe Whis somehow knew what he had been feeling earlier. “Do you really still prefer to share meals with me than to eat by yourself?”

Beerus blinked.

“Oh. That. Well, yeah,” he said. “I don’t know about anywhere else, but where I’m from meals are meant to be shared. Only creeps or losers eat alone. Even if all you have is a loaf of bread, you share it. If you don’t then something is wrong with you.”

“I see.”

“Is it really that weird?” Beerus asked. He really had a difficult time with this concept. To not share a meal seemed so wrong on so many levels. He couldn’t imagine having food and not sharing it.

“No, not at all. I certainly don’t mind, it’s quite a treat.” Whis said with a smile. Beerus smiled too. Then, he hesitated for a moment as he picked his fork up again.

“Can I ask you something?” He said. Whis looked a little surprised, but nodded. “Do you have free will?”

“Free will?”

“In the legends, spirits who serve gods were said to exist solely for that purpose. They just went through life doing as they were told with no motivations of their own. Like, if I told you to do something totally crazy, like, punch your sister in the face, would you have to do that just because I said to?” He asked. It was something that had been weighing on his mind for a while. Whis laughed softly.

“Ah, I see,” he said. “Yes, I have free will. I serve you and do as you ask because it’s my job. If you were to try to break a rule, I can and would stop you, and if you asked me to do something I cannot, I would not.”

“What about when I sleep? You don’t just sit around waiting do you?”

“Oh, no. Of course I rarely go too far, as I can’t leave you completely unattended for long, but I do have a life of my own.”

Beerus found he was smiling even more. For some reason, that was a great comfort to him.

As the weeks went on, Beerus was finding himself finally beginning to adjust to this new life. He was getting used to Whis, to being taken care of in a way he never had been in his life. He was finding that he actually had preferences when it came to food, rather than shoveling everything into his mouth as quickly as possible as if he would never eat again. Beerus was learning which flavors he liked and which he didn’t, what types of foods were his favorite and what types he didn’t care for.

He was getting the hang of his training and had begun to understand his Destroyer energy, and had been destroying planets regularly. He was also reading and writing well enough now that Whis said he was ready to learn the Divine language.

He was beginning to feel tired, however. Not the sort of tired that seemed to be resolved with a nap, even one that lasted two straight weeks. Whis told him it might be time for another proper sleep. Beerus wanted to stay awake as long as he could. The thought of another extremely long sleep still unsettled him, no matter how much Whis said it was perfectly normal.

“I ma Drol Sureeb, Dog fo Noitcurtsed fo eht Htneves Esrevinu.”

“Very good, Lord Beerus. Although your accent is distracting.”

“I don’t have an accent!”

“You said _Noit_ curtsed, you should have pronounced it as Noitcurt _sed_.”

“You’re too picky.”

“It’s not me you need to worry about. Imagine if you made an error in pronunciation and accidentally insulted the Omni-King.” Whis said.

“Hmph. Fine. I ma Drol Sureeb, Dog fo Noitcurt _sed_ fo eht Htneves Esrevinu.”

“Too much emphasis, now you just sound sarcastic.”

“Ugh!” Beerus huffed. He flopped back into the grass. “Is this Omni-King guy really that harsh or are you just messing with me?” He asked.

“I’ve seen him erase entire universes for less. If I wanted to mess with you I’d tell you he likes it when you run up and give him a big kiss.” Whis said. Beerus sat up slightly, looking up at his angel.

“But you couldn’t, because you wouldn’t know what to do without me.” He said.

“Hmph. Perhaps you’ve forgotten but I lived a very long time without you.”

Beerus frowned.

“And you preferred it that way?” He asked. Something glinted in Whis’ lavender eyes.

“I didn’t say that, now did I?”

Beerus felt a fluttering in his stomach that he thought would have gone away by now. But it seemed the way Whis made him feel wasn’t going away. It was getting worse.

Whis’ staff began to flash. Beerus pulled himself up from the ground as Vados’ image appeared. She bowed deeply.

“Good afternoon, Lord Beerus,” she said. “Lord Champa has made significant headway in his training, and as such, he wishes to extend an invitation to you to come visit his planet this evening for dinner, if it pleases you.”

Beerus looked to Whis, who quirked an eyebrow and smirked. He turned back to Vados.

“I accept. We’ll be there this evening.” He said.

Champa’s planet was not too dissimilar from Beerus’. The climate was similar, warm but not too hot, lots of greenery. His palace was not a tree, like the ones from their world. It was, however, an incredibly tall spire that stood high in the sky, with lots of balconies with which to observe the starry galaxy that surrounded the planet.

Vados stood before them and bowed politely in greeting. Whis bowed as well, although Beerus wasn’t entirely certain who he was bowing to.

The one standing beside Vados looked enough like Champa, similar face, similar eyes, the right height, the right skin tone, and yet...

“Who the hell are you?” Beerus asked.

“Wh-what do you mean who am I? You don’t recognize your own brother?” He cried.

He had gained weight. A noticeable amount. That was what was so off that Beerus couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was the same Champa, just much larger. Champa has always been a little pudgy, at least since they escaped slavery. He put on some weight when they were living in the temple and that gut never totally went away.

“You got fat!” Beerus cried.

“What? How dare you! I am not fat!” He shrieked indignantly. “It’s only natural that I put on a little weight now that we can eat more than a loaf of bread every day, isn’t it? As a matter of fact, why haven’t you put on any weight? Isn’t that attendant of yours feeding you?”

Beerus frowned. He had put on a little weight, though it was in the form of lean muscles more than anything. Beerus had always had a difficult time putting on weight, even with unlimited access to food like he had now, his body stayed rather bony.

“I eat plenty,” Beerus said defensively. “I just also work it off with training. Something I’m betting you’re slacking off on, knowing you.”

“Ugh, now you’re sounding like Vados.”

“Dinner is prepared, Lord Champa,” Vados said. Beerus studied her for a moment. She looked a lot like Whis. In fact, despite not being twins, she and Whis seemed to look more alike than Beerus and Champa did. Yet, Beerus’ heart didn’t flutter at her smile. He didn’t feel flustered and giddy around her. Her voice and her scent—like the dampness in the air immediately before a summer rain—didn’t make him feel drunk. He frowned at the thought.

“Yes, let’s go eat!” Champa exclaimed. They all followed through the palace to the dining hall. Champa’s palace was beautiful and intricate, with seemingly endless small details in design everywhere you looked. Beerus wondered if any of it had been Champa’s idea, or if it had all been Vados’ design. He imagined that Champa had probably also been at quite a loss when trying to imagine what he wanted out of a home of his own, let alone an entire planet with a palace.

They sat at a massive table, with a lot of fine looking dishes laid out across it. The food all looked rather different from what Beerus had been eating, but Whis told him that was to be expected as they were in a different universe. Beerus was still struggling a bit with the concept of multiple universes.

“I bet this food is going to blow your universe’s food out of the water,” Champa boasted.

“We’ll see,” Beerus said. Before he took a bite, however, he realized Vados and Whis were both standing off to the side. He hesitated. “You don’t share your food with your attendant?”

“Why should I?” Champa asked through a mouthful. Beerus cringed.

“So you just...eat alone?”

“What does it matter? Vados doesn’t need food and I don’t _have_ to share.”

“It’s weird! What kind of person eats by themself? It’s creepy!”

“Well no one else seems to mind.” Champa huffed.

“No one who would say it to your face, maybe.” Beerus said.

“What is your problem? It’s not any of your business!” Champa snapped.

“My problem? You’re the one acting like a selfish jerk!”

“You’re the jerk!” Champa leapt over the table and punched Beerus out of his seat.

This hit was nothing like the fights they used to have. Beerus went flying through the wall. He pulled himself up through the rubble and began firing blasts at Champa, knocking him back. He charged forward and swung a fist at him, only to be frozen suddenly. He remembered this sensation from the day he first met Whis. Champa was frozen, too. They both turned their attention to their attendants.

“Lord Beerus, don’t you remember your lessons? Destroyers must never fight, their energy could become catastrophic.” Whis said, audibly annoyed.

“I can’t even fight my own brother?” Champa cried as if this was a great offense.

“Lord Champa, we just talked about this minutes before Lord Beerus’ arrival.” Vados said, exasperated.

“Well I wasn’t listening!”

“Perhaps you two should return to your meal.” Vados said. They were freed from the hold their attendants had over them and they each went back to their seats to eat.

Beerus was still stewing as he took his first bite, then forgot all about it as the food was impressive. Damn impressive.

“Th-this is—“ he began, blown away by the flavor. Then, he saw the smug look of victory on Champa’s face and tried to dial it back. “Fine. This is alright I suppose.”

“Don’t lie, I saw your face! You love it!”

“It’s...pretty good.”

“Hmph,” Champa clearly knew he won—whatever the competition was.

As the meal went on, Whis and Vados stood aside and were in a conversation themselves. Beerus could only pick up bits and pieces, mostly his name, and Champa’s, and little snippets of their lives. It made him strangely nervous. He kept glancing over at them, wondering what sort of things Whis would say about him.

“So, how’s everything going? Being a God of Destruction and all that?” He asked Champa to get his mind off of it.

“Not bad. Obviously it has its perks. I didn’t know it would be so much work though.”

“I think the food and the bed more than makes up for the work.”

“I’m not complaining,” Champa said, which Beerus knew was something Champa said right before he began to complain. “I just hate all the lessons. I never went to school, now I have to learn all this science crap?”

“Hmph, I’m not a fan of it, either,” he admitted. “What about Vados? You get along with her alright?”

“Ugh,” Champa sighed dramatically. “She’s...fine. Whatever. She’s always on my case about everything. I guess we’re not all buddy-buddy like you and your attendant are.”

“Sounds like you’re just being a lazy slacker as usual. You should really give her a break, you know you never do anything unless someone gets on your case.” Beerus said.

“Yeah, or maybe you’ve just got a big crush on your attendant.”

Beerus did not think. Before he knew what was happening, he had launched himself over the table and punched Champa so had that a sound like thunder cracked across the small planet. The blackish Destroyer energy swirled around him as he dove at him, screaming and swearing. He felt himself being pulled back again, but he was too angry to stop, still struggling and yelling as he was forced away.

“It was just a joke you big baby!” Champa shrieked. Vados was trying to talk him down. After a moment, Beerus realized Whis was also trying to talk him down.

“Lord Beerus, maybe we should go home,” he said. Beerus finally snapped out of his rage. He looked around, almost confused by what had just happened.

“Yes. Maybe that is a good idea.”

They were silent for most of the trip home. Beerus felt a knot of shame in his stomach. A part of him wished he didn’t have to touch Whis to get home. A part of him wished he could just isolate himself until he was normal.

“Whis,” he said.

“Yes, Lord Beerus?”

“Did you...think it was odd, that I chose you as my attendant instead of Vados?”

Whis turned back slightly to look at him.

“I wouldn’t call it ‘odd.’” he said.

“You wouldn’t?”

“While it is true that, when presented with a choice, Gods of Destruction do tend to choose the angel attendant they find the most physically appealing, it’s not my place to make assumptions nor pass judgment on your preferences.”

“Wh—hey, it’s not like that, okay?” Beerus growled defensively.

“Oh?”

“I’m not a—I don’t like—it wasn’t anything to do with that, I just picked you because I wanted to, that’s all.” He said.

“Of course.” Whis replied, although his tone had an air of disbelief.

“It’s true!”

“It’s really none of my business, my Lord.”

Beerus went quiet again. As his nerves subsided, he was beginning to feel exhausted. Very exhausted. Barely able to keep his eyes open.

He jolted awake and was suddenly looking up at Whis.

“Forgive me, Lord Beerus,” Whis said. “You were dozing off and it’s not terribly safe to fall asleep while traveling at such speeds.”

He was in Whis’ arms.

In a panic, he pushed away, and suddenly was falling in a black and icy void, screaming yet his voice didn’t seem to have a sound. Suddenly, Whis’ hand grabbed his arm and pulled him into a safe sphere.

“Really, Lord Beerus, you can be so foolhardy,” he sighed. “We’re nearly home. Do try not to get yourself lost in space before we get there.”

Beerus was too embarrassed and tired to speak until they had gotten to his planet. He finally gave into his fatigue, got ready for bed, and fell asleep.


End file.
